Accounting Integration Issues of EU Member States

The aim of this article is to discuss the dilemmas over the integration of accounting in EU member states. The dilemma could be divided into the following main groups. Dilemma of the user of financial statements. This dilemma consists in determining for whom the integration of accounting in EU is crucial, and who is the intended beneficiary of integration. Dilemma arising from the lack of theoretical framework for drafting directives and standards: the accounting paradigm assuming that accounting is strictly quantitative. Accounting is a social science, whereas the accounting practice has greater influence on social, rather than purely economic, reality. Dilemma over legal regulations and the legitimization of standard setters could be attributed to accounting regulations as legal norms. A classic example of this might be the transition from rule-based to principle-based IFRSs. The dilemma over the legitimization of standard setters has its roots in the legal aspect of accountancy. In order to solve it, it is necessary to answer the question: ‘who controls the processes of accounting integration?’ since the participants of this process often present divergent viewpoints, and sometimes even opposite priorities. Dilemma over the politicization of accountancy. The more globalized and complex the economic environment is, the more of political intervention there is expected to be in the standard setting process, affected by global geopolitical trends.